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4 Movies to Watch Before you Travel Solo

Taking off on a grand adventure around the world is a daunting but completely rewarding endeavour to make. There are ongoing trials and tribulations to face at multiple times throughout each day and more often than not these can leave you wondering whether this was the right journey for you after all? But it was and it is, because if you have ever had the inkling to travel solo, you need to give it a chance and fulfil that desire for whatever reason it was you decided to go. Here are four of the best films to watch to encourage you that the solo journey is the one for you:

The Best 4 Movies to Watch Before you Travel Solo

Into the Wild (2007)

Topping the inspiration list for solo travel films is the 2007 hit, Into the Wild. This film is without a doubt one of the best travelogues out there for travellers to look to in search of inspiration.

Wild (2014)

This biopic follows the story of Cheryl Strayed as she covers 1,100km on the Pacific Coast Trail in the USA. Starring Reese Witherspoon, this film is set to be a traveller’s highlight in 2015.

Tracks (2013)

This film surprised me. Tracks follows Robyn Davidson’s Australian camel trip in 1977, where she trekked 1700 miles across the Australian desert. Inspiring for solo female travellers in particular, this film is a must see for any solo women considering hitting the open road.

Eat, Pray, Love (2010)

First to Italy, followed by India, and finally Bali. Eat Pray Love is a popular favourite amongst women travellers in particular and encourages all viewers never to settle, and instead follow their hearts – wherever that may lead.

Over to you! What are your favourite travel films that leave you wanting to book the next plane out?

I usually try to watch a movie from a destination I’m about to go to.. Seeing the place, sounds and faces really inspires me! And at other times, I even visit a place because of a movie I watched, ie Miss Potter and A Good Year 🙂 Last year I started watching Bollywood movies and even took Hindi lessons cos India really appeals to me. I also learnt Tagalog during the years when I was flying to Philippines to visit a different island each time! It’s not necessarily a travel movie that inspires travel, but seeing anything filmed in that country, including daily life or its scenery … can be compelling enough! And yeah, I like ‘Into The Wild’ and ‘The Beach’ too ! I have the dvd, soundtrack, book and movie poster for these two movies 🙂

I think, “Eat, pray, love” has less to do with traveling and more (or only) with a complicated identification process and issues about midlife crisis. But the rest of your collection is just great and, at least, perfect for backpacking people like me 🙂

Great list! I’ve seen Into The Wild with one of my roommates in my hostel back in Kuala Lumpur and I must say, it definitely added into my list of favorites. As for others, I liked Under the Tuscan Sun, Lost in Translation (which were both mentioned somewhere above). I recommend Richard Linklater’s Before trilogy, as it’s one of the films that inspired my desire to travel. Usually I watch places that inspire movies, such as Copenhagen, Amelie and Midnight in Paris. 🙂

All though it’s not about solo travel, the movie that always make me want to be on the next flight out of Norway and go to Italy for a roadtrip is Letters to Juliet. The shots from the Italian countryside is just so beautiful!

Some great movies, though I don’t like Eat, Prey and Love. Seven Years in Tibet is also a nice movie, plus Beyond Rangoon, L’Auberge Espagnole (The Spanish Apartment ), One Week and Under The Tuscan Sun.

I really want to see Tracks and Wild.
Leaving for my biggest solo trip this far, on Sunday, traveling 11 timezones away, so I wish I’d have time to see them both before that.
I prefer the book of Eat, Pray, Love before the movie though. It is too hollywoodized

I watched and read Eat, Pray, Love before heading to Italy last summer. It was sort of a must-do thing since I ended up studying Italian at the same school Elizabeth Gilbert did. I wasn’t there as long as she was, but it was definitely a transformative experience–not to mention created some of my most popular blog posts. No wonder your blog is so popular. Why hadn’t anyone told me travel blogger was a viable career option when I got out of school umpteen years ago? Oh, yeah, that’s right. There was barely an Internet when I got out of school umpteen years ago. 🙂

Tracks is amazing! I was a little disappointed with Eat, Pray, Love but Julia Roberts is the best.
Such a cool post! Love this post!
Love from http://www.trangscorner.com – a lifestyle, cooking, fashion blog

I’ve seen all of these and read the books ( except I’ve not read the book that Tracks is based on… but I’m working on it!) and I have to agree that they are so inspiring. I saw Into the Wild in 2008 and I was completely obsessed with the idea of vagabonding from there. In 2012, I read Wild on the plane when I moved to South Korea. It’s amazing what an impact a memoir can have on you.

I know this is a list about films, but the book Wanderlust: A Love Affair with Five Continents by Elisabeth Eaves is also a great read.

I was going to go home and watch into the wild tonight, but after reading the comment about reading it I may download it on my kindle instead. Eat Pray Love makes me want to quit my job and go travelling for the year again though! 🙂 So much inspiration in one lunch break xo

Read Wild before watching! The book is a million times more inspiring! 🙂
Walter mitty definitely would make my list, and Under the Tuscan sun.. 🙂
Plus Eat Pray Love of course… haven’t seen the others yet so might have to do so to get me through the last few months of my year of travel! 😉

Have you seen the Secret life of Walter Mitty? Such an inspiring movie! Or if you’re looking more for a documentary-type backpacker movie I’d recommend Last Stop For Paul, where a guy who doesn’t usually travel, decides to take his best friend’s ashes and spread them all over the world. Good little movie! Great list 🙂

Tracks is amazing! I was a little disappointed with Eat, Pray, Love but Julia Roberts is the best. I haven’t seen Into The Wild or Wild yet but I can’t wait to be inspired. My year in Australia is reaching the 6 month mark and I’m sooooo not ready for it to be over.

Oh, I agree! Aside from the inspiring films listed by Brooke here, I think The Secret Life of Walter Mitty is amazing. Even though it’s so different from the short story, it was the movie that definitely inspired me to travel and to really live my dreams.

I know it is silly one, but I can’t help loving The Secret Life of Walter Mitty. I mean just the sound tracks gets my travel juices flowing big time. Add stunning footage of Iceland and the South East Asia and BOOM. I’m desperate for adventure.